Lathe



Feb. 24, 19 25. J i 1,527,791

R. .E. FLANDERS LATHE Filed July 22, 1921 3' Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24. 1925.

R. E FLANDERS LATHE s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1921 III I ||L| 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 LATHE R. E. FLANDERS Filed July 22, 1921 Feb. 24,

Patented F eb. 24, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

RALPH E. FLANDERS, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO JONES 8n LAMSON MACHINE COMPANY, O'F SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, A. CORPORATION OF VERMONT.

LATHE.

Application filed July 22,

T all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, RALPH E. FLANDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lathes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lathes, having been more particularly designed for. mul- 1 tiple spindle lathes, though features thereof might be embodied to advantage with single spindle machines. Such lathes areoften provided with revoluble tool-carrying turrets, so that a plurality of tools may be se- 1 lectively presented to the work for successive operations thereon. These turrets are heavy and require considerable effort to be turned to change from one tool to another. The present invention seeks to avoid the use of the turret while providing a construction whereby a plurality of tools may be presented to the work for succeeding operations. For this purpose the tools are carried by a slide movable transversely to the axis of the work spindle, this slide being carried on a saddle slidable on ways longitudinally of the spindle. This transverse slide is moved to present the required tools into alinement with the work, and the sad- 3 dle carrying the slide is moved to bring the tools into and out of operative relation to the work.

This invention also provides power means for moving the tool slide in succession to its various tool-presenting positions, this mechanism being preferably actuated automatically by thetraverse of the saddle.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, together with further objects and advantageous details of construction and combinations of parts, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which,- I

Figure 1 is a plan view of the central'portion of a double spindle lathe embodying this invention. Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the upper portion ofthe same parts.

1921. Serial- NO. 486,699.

Figure 3 is a view partly in section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Filgure 4 is a section on line 4'4 of Figure Figure 5 isan end elevation of one of the tool holders. 1

F igure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure Referring more particularly to Figure 1, at 1 is shown a pair of live spindles arranged in substantially parallel relation intended to be rotated simultaneously and each carrying a chuck 2 for holding work. While these chucks may be of any type desired, as shown they are intended to receive double ended mandrels, each mandrel being designed to support a gear wheel, this mechanism being substantially as shown in the patent to Hartness N 0. 1,036,105 granted August 20, 1912.

Arranged to slide on ways, as 3, (see Figure 4), is a saddle 4 which may be reciprocated by any suitable mechanism, a pinion 5 fixed to a shaft journaled in the saddle and engaging a fixed rack 6 being shown for this purpose. The saddle 4 carries on its upper face a track member 7 (see Figure 6) which fits within a mating dovetail groove in a tool carrier slide 8. This tool carrier slide comprises a lower section 9 and an upper section 10, these sections having mating sockets or depressions therein for the reception of tool holders 11. As shown the mating depressions in sections 9 and 10 are substantially semi-circular and receive correspondingly shaped shank pieces 12, as shown in Figure 3, of each tool holder. The cap section 10 may be clamped down upon the tool holder shanks by means of a. series of clamping bolts 13, as shown more particularly in Figures 1, 4, and 6.

Each tool holder has a perforation centrally through its shank 12 for a bushing 14 seated therein which furnishes a guide opening for one end of the mandrel 15 by which the work, here shown as a gear 16, is carried, The other end of the mandrel 15 extends within the chuck 2 where it is supported for. rotation therewith. A plunger 17 has its forward end slidahle in the bushing 14 and a spring 18 hearing between the rear end of a head 19 thereon and a retaining collar 20 fixed in the rear end of the perforation in the shank 12 normally projects the plunger forward so that when the tools are in operative position it presses against the outer end of the mandrel '15 as shown in Figure 3. A plurality of tools 21 (see Figures 1 and '5) is supported in the forwardly projecting end of the tool holder in position to operate on the work when the spindle 15 is within the bushing 14. This mechanism may be substantially as disclosed in the Hartness patent above referred to and operate in the same manner.

As shown there are two tool holders for each spindle, it being intended that one tool holder shall carry tools for a roughing cut and a similar holder tools for a finishing out so roughing and finishing cuts may be taken simultaneously on opposite faces of a pair of gears, the mandrels being moved from one to the other spindle and reversed end for end after each finishing cut is taken.

It is evident that the tools might be otherwise disposed, if desired, without departing from this invention. These tool holders are presented in turn in alinement with the work on each spindle by traversing the tool carrier 9 across the saddle 4. In order to determine the stopping positions of the slide to insure proper registry of the tools, one end of the slide 9 carries an adjustable abutment screw 25 threaded through a bushing 26 in a lug depending from a yoke 27, this screw 25 being in horizontal alinement with the track member 7 to contact therewith to stop the traverse of the carriage in one direction. A similar adjustable stop screw 28 is positioned at the other end of the slide as shown in Figure 1, this screw being threaded in a similar bushing 29 in a yoke 270 on the slide.

In order to move the tool carrier from one to the other of its positions an automatically operated power mechanism has been provided, in the present embodiment this mechanism comprising a penumatic cylinder 30 fixed to one end of the slide 9 and having a piston 31 therein connected to a piston rod 32. This rod extends through a Stuffing box 33 in the head of the cylinder and through the adjacent portion of the slide9, and is fixed at its outer end by a threaded engagement at 34 with the track member 7. The inner end of the piston rod 32 is made fast in any suitable manner as by a nut 35 to the piston 31 which may be of any suitable or usual construction, and hence will not be further described. Air or other fluid under pressure is admitted and exhausted alternately from the opposite ends of the cylinder 30' through a pair of pipes 36 which communicate with a valve 37, a pipe for suppl ing air to this valve being shown at 38 m igure 1. This valve is of any suitable type, that herein shown being of the plug type, by actuation of which air may be admitted from the pipe 38 to either of the pipes 36 and at the same time exhausted from the other pipe 36. As these valves are old and well known in the art no detail showing ordescription thereof is deemed necessary.

In order to actuate this valve its stem may be provided with a two armed lever 40 by which it may be turned and mechanism is preferably provided by which at each retraction of the saddle to bring the tools sufficiently out of engagement with the work, the'valve is actuatedto move the tool carnor from one to the other of its operative positions. As shown this means comprises a pair of arms 41 pivoted at 42 to a block 43 preferably adjustable lengthwise of the machine bed, these arms 41 being normally drawn toward each other by a spring 44 connecting them. Suitable stops 45 may be employed to limit the inward movement of these arms which stops should be so located that the free ends of these arms are in the path of movement of the lever 40 as the saddle is moved on its ways 3. Assuming for example that the arms arein the 'position shown in Figure, 1, in which the tool carrying slide is in its forward position, the forward end of the lever 40 is in alinement with the end of the forward arm 41. On retraction of the saddle the lever 40 impinges on this arm and is turned thereby, which causes the valve to admit air to the outer end of the cylinder 30 back of the piston 31 which thereupon moves the cylinder and the slide 9 backward until. the stop screw 25 contacts with the end of the track member 7. The rear end of the lever 40 is then in alinement with the end of the rear arm 41, but is positioned back of the free end thereof so that as the. saddle is moved to bring the tools into operative relation with the work, this arm yields to permit the lever 40 to pass by without actuating the valve. On the succeeding retraction of the saddle, however, the lever contacts with the free end of the rear arm 41 and is moved to reverse the position of the valve which therefore causes the slide 9 to be returned to its forward position with the stop 29 in contact with the track member 7. As shown hardened bumper blocks 7 to prevent wear and misalignment may be fixed to the track way 7 to receive the blows from the screws 25 and 28.

In order to adjustably support the block 43 it is shown as fixed to a pair of rods 46 made fast at one end in a bumper block 47 which may be clamped by bolts 48 to the bed of the machine above the ways 3 to Inn I I claim:

limit the retracting movement of the saddle -l. The opposite ends of rods 46 are slidable through a yoke 49 fixed to the machine bed.

W'hilc pressure within the cylinder may be relied upon to hold the tool carrier slide iii-either of its operative positions a supplemental clamping member may be employed. Such a member is shown in Figures 1 and 6 and comprises a bolt 50 threaded at its lower end in a wedge block 51 which bears between the rear face of the track member 7 and the inclined rear face of the track slot in the carrier 8. The upper end of this bolt 50 has a head 52 through which is passed an actuating member 53 by which it may be turned to raise and lower the block 51 to clamp or release the tool carrier from the track member 7 The rear edge of the tool carrier may be supported against the upper face of the saddle by means of an angular guide piece 55 fixed to the saddle and carrying a wear plate 56 extending over and in engagement with the upper face of the carrier slide 8, this member being fixed to the saddle by means of the bolts 57 As the mechanism for driving the plurality of work spindles forms no part of the present invention and is already well known, no showing thereof has been deemed necessary in this case.

In the construction as shown, which is particularly designed for finishing gears, the roughing and finishing tools for one face of the gear may be mounted in one pair of tool holders and roughing and finishing tools for the other face of the gear may be mounted in the other pair of holders, the reversible gear-holding mandrel being positioned to present the gear facing in one direction in one spindle and in the opposite direction in the other spindle. By this means opposite faces of a pair of gears may be machined, the roughing cuts and the finishing cuts on opposite faces of a pair of gears being performed simultaneously.

While this invention has been described as applied to a two spindle lathe, it is evident that it is within the scope of the invention to utilize one or more than two spindles, if desired, and to correspondingly modifythe number of stations of the tools.

Having thus described this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

1. A lathe comprising a plurality of sub stantially. arallel live spindles, a saddle movable su stantially parallel to the axes of said s in-dles, a tool carrier on said saddle movab e laterall of the spindles, a plurality of sets of tool: on said carrier for operatiug simultaneously on work on each spindle and presented successively into alinement therewith by movement of said carrier, and power means for moving said carrier from one to another of said positions.

2. A lathe comprising a plurality of substantially parallel live spindles, a saddle. movable substantially parallel to the axes of said spindles, a. tool carrier on said saddle movable laterally of the spindles, a plurality of, sets of tools on said carrier for operating; simultaneously on work on each spindle and presented successively into alinement therewith by movement of said carrier, and means actuablc automatically on movement of said saddle to retract the tools from the work, for moving said carrier.

,3. A lathe comprising a live spindle, a saddle movable substantially parallel tothe axis of said spindle, a tool carrier for a plurality of tools movable laterally of said spindle and carried by said saddle, fluid ressure means for moving said tool carrier between a plurality of tool presenting positions, and means for controlling said fluid pressure means.

4. A lathe comprising a live spindle, a

saddle movable substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle, a tool carrier for a plurality of tools slidable laterally of said saddle, a fluid pressure cylinder fixed to said carrier, a piston in said cylinder and fixed to said saddle, a valve for controlling admission of fluid pressure to opposite ends of said cylinder and movable with said carrier, and abutments carried adjacent the path of said saddle for actuating said valve on the retraction of said saddle, whereby the valve is moved to admit and exhaust fluid pressure alternately on subsequent actuations from opposite ends of said cylinder to move said slide alternately in opposite directions to present sets of tools alternately to work on said spindle.

5. A lathe comprising a plurality of substantially parallel live spindles, a saddle movable substantially parallel to said spindles, a tool carrier slidable on said saddle and laterally of said spindles, tool holders for each spindle mounted on said carrier and positioned to operate on work carried by the several spindles simultaneously, and power means to move said carrier laterally to present diflerent tool holders successively into alinement with the work, to be presented to and retracted therefrom by movement of said saddle.

6. A lathe comprising a plurality of substantially parallel live spindles, a saddle movable substantially parallel to said spindles, a tool carrier slidable on said saddle and laterally of said spindles, tool holders for each spindle mounted on said car rier and ositioned to operate on work carried by tile several spindles simultaneously,

and means to move said carrier laterally to resent different tool holders successively mto alinement with the work, to be presented to and retracted therefrom by movement of said saddle, and means to clamp said carrier in any tool presenting position.

7. In a machine of the class described, a

tool carrier for a plurality of tool holders comprising a base section recessed to receive the tool holders, a similarly recessed cap plate, and means for clamping the holders in fixed position between said base and cap plate.

8. In a machine of the class described a tool carrier comprising a base section having a series of depressions in its upper face, a cap plate having a serles of depressions in its lower face mating the depresslons in said base section to form a,.,ser1es of holes through said carrier, a plurality .of tool holders, each holder having a portion substantially fitting one of said holes, and means for clamping said cap plate on said base section and retaining said holders in relatively fixed position.

9. A lathe comprising a plurality of substantially parallel live spindles, a saddle movable substantially parallel to the axes of said spindles, a tool carrier on said saddle movable laterally of the spindles, a plurality of sets of tools on said carrier for operating simultaneously on work on each spindle and presented successively into operative relation thereto by movement of said carrier, and means for moving said carrier aotuable automatically on movement of said saddle to retract the tools from the work.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

RALPH E. FLANDERS. 

